To say that I’m impressed with this product would be an understatement. I’ve had it for just over a week and have used it every day. I’ve used a variety of food waste including coffee grounds, leftover meat scraps, citrus, vegetables, eggshells, bread / bagels, fruit, even some leftover cat food. It has worked wonderfully to “compost” all of it. I live in a rural area - yes…skunk, opossum, raccoon, fox, and bear. So, having a traditional outdoor compost setup just won’t work out. We have weekly garbage pick up but I was looking for a way to reduce some of that. Granted, it’s just my husband and me but I do a lot of cooking and 99% of the items I use are fresh and not processed / premade foods. I will say that the food “bucket” that you use for your scraps is on the small side so if you prepare your meals, as I do, with a lot of fresh ingredients and you have a family of four or more, you might not be as thrilled. On the occasions that I have more than I can process at a time I can run 2 cycles a day or just keep the scraps in a ziplock win the fridge until the next day. There is no foul odor. The filters do what they’re supposed to. The lid for the bucket works to contain odor as I fill it up during the day. Can’t even smell the onions or other strong odors as it sits on my counter. Once the composting is done, I dump it into a plastic bucket that I keep outdoors and when that gets full I will dispose of it on our property. There is no smell to it so it won’t attract any critters. Some folks have commented in their reviews that it’s noisy, foul smelling, it leaves a goopy / sludgy mess, or that it takes too long. It’s not loud, it doesn’t smell, you have to use common sense as far as what you put in to process, and who cares how long it takes. It’s not like you have to sit there and keep it company. The bucket has some type of lining / coating that’s almost like a nonstick surface. Cleaning it is a breeze. I simply wash it out by hand though it is dishwasher safe. The unit is a bit heavy to move around, though not impossible, so find a place that will be convenient so you don’t have to relocate it often. It isn’t huge but does take up counter space so find a location that works for you. My only negative is that though Vitamix has been around for many years, and certainly is a reputable company, the FoodCycler is made in China. Not happy about that. Overall, the unit is robust and well made. It is easy to use and works very well.
